Entries needed for art show

The Fine Arts League is calling for original artwork completed within the last three years for their annual Art Show at the Kiva, held on Early Settlers Day weekend, Sept. 14-15.

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By Bette McFarren

LA Junta Tribune - La Junta, CO

By Bette McFarren

Posted Aug. 9, 2013 at 1:00 PM

By Bette McFarren
Posted Aug. 9, 2013 at 1:00 PM

The Fine Arts League is calling for original artwork completed within the last three years for their annual Art Show at the Kiva, held on Early Settlers Day weekend, Sept. 14-15. The categories are oils/acrylics, watercolor/acrylics, pastels, graphics, photography, mixed media and specialties. Any category with fewer than six entries will be eliminated and the artwork put into another category. The specialties category includes jewelry, fiber, pottery and sculpture.

All paintings must be framed or on gallery-wrapped canvas and ready to hang with wire. The size limitation for wall is 48" by 48" including frame. Artist must be 18 years of age. All entries must be brought to the Kiva, 115 W. 18th St. in La Junta on Thursday, Sept. 6, between noon and 6 p.m. Arrangements may be made with other artists to deliver artwork, only if the artwork is accompanied by a completed entry form and proper payment of fees. The cost of entry is $10 per entry, non-refundable. A maximum of five entries per artist is allowed. Contact persons for entry forms are Donna Abert, 254-6122 and Thelma Schweizer, 254-3218.

Cash prizes are Best of Show, $150; Judge's Choice, $100; ribbons are given for first place in each category. The judge this year is Lil Penn of Eads, formerly of Las Animas. Her painting of Bent's Old Fort was purchased and became the first annual piece added to the art collection at the John Rawlings Heritage Center in Las Animas. A painting of aspens on barnwood by Penn is hanging in the U.S. Post Office in La Junta.

Penn started painting in 1968 after taking weekly classes at Otero Junior College under John Mendoza. She has had several other teachers since then. She has taken numerous workshops and has gained knowledge and skill from each one. She is widely known in the area and has been shown in the Main Street Gallery in Timnath, several hospitals in Denver, Cow Palace Motel in Lamar, and various places in Eads, Colo. Her work is currently being shown in Eads in their Artist of the Plains Gallery. She works mainly in acrylics, but also does watercolor, pastel, mixed media and colored pencil.

The Fine Arts League was established in July 1967 and currently makes its home and holds its meetings at the Otero Museum on the second Thursday of the month at 5:30 p.m. The members are from the area: Fowler, Manzanola, Rocky Ford, La Junta, Las Animas, and some from Pueblo and Lamar. Some of the members exhibit at 1st Street Emporium in La Junta and the Golden Eagle Gallery in Trinidad or various businesses in the area and community concerts. The league recognizes student artists at the OJC Arts Festival each year with monetary awards.